


An Unconventional Love Story

by uniquepov



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Rare Pairing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-03-05
Updated: 2011-03-05
Packaged: 2017-11-05 06:20:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/403331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uniquepov/pseuds/uniquepov
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry and Neville begin a somewhat unconventional love story.</p><table>
  <tbody><tr><td>
      <div class="center">
<br/><b><span class="ljuser ljuser-name_rarepair_shorts"><a href="http://rarepair-shorts.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://rarepair-shorts.livejournal.com/"><b>rarepair_shorts</b></a></span></b> HP Rare-Pair Challenge<br/><b>Pairing: </b> Neville/Harry<br/><b>Progress: </b> 8/13<br/></div>
    </td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>1. well, if you put it <i>that</i> way</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>2. no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>3. oh how I loathe thee (most of the time)</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>4. er... um...</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>5. laughter</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>6. rolling on the floor</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>7. don't you dare</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>8. R.S.V.P.</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>9. splat</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>10. pontification</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>11. I'll be your... something-or-other</td>
  </tr>
  <tr><td>12. blatant misconception</td>
 </tr>
  <tr><td>13. tinkering</td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>
            </blockquote>





	1. Parts I & 2

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. However, I promise to return everyone, good as new, when I'm done playing with them. I own nothing that you recognize, and I do not profit from any of it.

**Prompts:** from table, #1 and #4

**Part I**

“Harry, I know you don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do.” Harry looked everywhere in the room but at Neville, sitting across the small table from him.

“Look me in the eye and tell me that,” Neville said quietly. He’d developed a soft-spoken, surprisingly self-confident air about him in the aftermath of the Battle of Hogwarts, and Harry found it extremely distracting. Not sexy. Not at all.

“Neville, er… um…” Harry stammered, his gaze fixed firmly on the tabletop.

“My face is up here, Harry,” Neville said with a chuckle. “You can’t do it, because it isn’t true.”

“Yes, it is.”

“You don’t find me attractive?”

“Well, if you put it _that_ way –”

Neville waited. Harry waited. Neville leaned back in his chair and smiled softly.

“Yes,” Harry whispered.

“Yes?”

“Yes, I’m attracted to you. But that doesn’t change anything.”

“It changes everything.”

“Nev, you’re one of my oldest friends. I don’t want to lose that. Look at what happened with Ginny – she barely speaks to me,” Harry said plaintively.

Neville sighed. “I am not Ginny Weasley.”

“I know, but –”

“No buts. I’m not walking away from this, Harry, and I’m not giving up without a fight.”

“Neville –”

  
**Prompts:** from table, #7 and #11

**Part II**

Neville shook his head firmly as Harry reached across the table and took one of his hands in his own.

“I don’t want to fight, Neville, honestly. I just… I need to hold on to what friendships I still have.”

“We deserve some measure of happiness in this life,” Neville’s voice was filled with quiet conviction. “We fought the good fight and, against all odds, we _won_. We shouldn’t have to sacrifice a chance at love.”

“I know that, but –”

“But _what_ , Harry?” Neville asked calmly.

“I can’t lose you, too,” Harry said quietly.

Neville’s other hand closed around Harry’s, clasping it firmly. “You are not going to lose me,” he told the other man staunchly.

“You say that now,” Harry began.

“I say it because it’s true. I’m not going anywhere.”

“What if it doesn’t work?” Harry’s voice was a broken whisper in the stillness.

“Harry, look at me,” Neville said softly. Green eyes met brown across the table. “Don’t you dare give up before we even start. I want to give this a try. I’ll be your lover, I’ll be your friend, I'll be your... something-or-other… whatever you need.”

“You will?” Harry wavered.

“I will,” he promised.


	2. Parts 3 & 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Neville begin a somewhat unconventional love story.
> 
>   
> **[](http://rarepair-shorts.livejournal.com/profile)[**rarepair_shorts**](http://rarepair-shorts.livejournal.com/)** HP Rare-Pair Challenge  
>  **Pairing:** Neville/Harry  
>  **Progress:** 8/13  
>   
>   
> ---  
> 1\. well, if you put it _that_ way  
> 2\. no one expects the Spanish Inquisition!  
> 3\. oh how I loathe thee (most of the time)  
> 4\. er... um...  
> 5\. laughter  
> 6\. rolling on the floor  
> 7\. don't you dare  
> 8\. R.S.V.P.  
> 9\. splat  
> 10\. pontification  
> 11\. I'll be your... something-or-other  
> 12\. blatant misconception  
> 13\. tinkering  
  
**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Disclaimer:** I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. However, I promise to return everyone, good as new, when I'm done playing with them. I own nothing that you recognize, and I do not profit from any of it.

**Prompts:** from table, #2 and #13

**Part III**

“If I may say, that did not go very well,” Hermione announced unnecessarily to the room’s other three occupants. Ron, Harry and Neville looked back at her gloomily.

“I’m sorry, Neville, I thought I’d gone over what to expect…” Harry trailed off as he stared into the crackling fire.

“Well, you said that they’d have some questions, but bloody hell, Harry, I didn’t expect _that_! No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!” Neville’s voice was weary.

“It’s just because they love him,” Ron interjected. “George and the others – their tinkering – they just don’t want to see Harry get hurt.”

“And they think _I’m_ likely to hurt Harry? Gee, thanks, that makes me feel loads better,” Neville replied sarcastically.

“Neville, you know that’s not what he meant,” Hermione said gently.

Neville looked suitably chastised. “Sorry, mate.”

Ron nodded.

“But, honestly!” Neville burst out. “It’s not like he’s dating bloody _Malfoy_ or someone like that! You’d think they’d have more sense!”

Harry buried his face in his hands as Ron and Hermione suddenly looked away.

“Nev –” Harry began faintly.

“What?”

“Well, I might have… dated Malfoy...”

“What?!”

“It was only a couple of dates! I was temporarily insane!” Harry protested.

“Bloody _hell_.”

  
**Prompts:** from table, #5 and #12

**Part IV**

“I do not understand you,” Neville said flatly. “How could you go out with a _git_ like Draco Malfoy?”

Hermione and Ron were hiding twitching lips and silent laughter behind their hands.

“I think I asked him that exact question at the time,” Ron managed before looking away again.

“I already admitted that it was crazy,” Harry protested.

“Was it a ‘bad boy’ thing? Or just that he’s blond? Because the whole ‘blonds have more fun’ thing is a blatant misconception.”

“It was _not_ because I think blonds have more fun!” Harry exclaimed.

“It was the whole ‘bad boy’ image Malfoy has going on,” Ron explained. “Harry can’t resist the attitude.”

“Or the leather pants,” Hermione chimed in mischievously.

Neville’s jaw dropped.

Harry hid his face again. “’Mione!”

Ron groaned and turned a particular shade of green. “Malfoy in leather pants was a mental image I did _not_ need, ‘Mione.”

“What? It’s the truth.”

“I really don’t think I want to know any more,” Neville put in.

“I’m with you, mate,” Ron agreed.

“Good, then, can we just drop it?” Harry said hopefully.

“For now,” Neville said grimly. “But we are going to talk about this later, Harry James Potter.”


End file.
